Systems for exhausting cooking fumes that are created during cooking procedures using cooktops are known. Overhead ventilation hoods are commonly used in both commercial and residential kitchens. Some homeowners do not like how overhead ventilation hoods look. Some installation locations of cooktops, such as separate island counter or end peninsular counter locations, can make mounting of overhead ventilation hoods difficult.
Flush or fixed surface-mounted ventilators have been used in situations in which overhead ventilation hoods are not desired. Such fixed surface-mounted ventilators tend to draw air transversely across the cooktop, which may draw cool ambient air across the food being cooked. To remedy this, telescoping downdraft ventilators have been provided. Telescoping downdraft ventilators have lessened the issues of drawing cool ambient air across food because they have inlets that draw air at a location that is vertically spaced above the cooking surface. This allows the telescoping downdraft ventilators to draw cooking fumes upwardly away from the food being cooked instead of drawing ambient air transversely across the cooking surface.
However, telescoping downdraft ventilators are often complex and expensive. Telescoping downdraft ventilators include numerous moving parts that may require maintenance over time.